John is all about celebrating the best of music, arts, and culture in Australia. He's a prolific reviewer and interviewer who's always on the pulse of what's new and exciting. His reviews are in-depth and thoughtful, giving readers a sense of what to expect from live performances, albums, and festivals. John's vibe on The AU Review is one of infectious enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to showcasing the vibrant cultural landscape of Australia.
With her seventh studio album HANDS (or NINE AND A HALF SONGS FOR NINE AND A HALF FINGERS) releasing today, we thought it was high time we caught up with singer-songwriter Wallis Bird. We chatted to her as basked in the glow of a beautiful spring morning, the birds singing as she sipped on a…
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The Avalanches released their debut album Since I Left You in 2000 to critical acclaim. Created from countless music and film samples, it was a grand musical collage, creating orchestral sounds from layers of disparate noises. Tonight at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the Avalanches duo of Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi were joined by…
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After two years of almost having a Beer and BBQ Festival, but being beaten at the post by COVID, this year is promising to live up to the hype. Scheduled from Friday 15th until Sunday 17th July, the Beer and BBQ Festival musical lineup is nothing short of spectactular. The 2021 lineup has been rebooked:…
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Song Lines are the way of sharing knowledge along generations of Indigenous people. In this multimedia performance, the relationship to the land is explored, not just in song, but in visual poetry. Drone art specialists, Celestial and First Nations Artists have collaborated to tell these stories from First Nations peoples. Renowned singer, songwriter, Archie Roach…
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The opening song in Bethany Louise’s Broadway Baby cabaret show is both a tribute and lament that she is singing at Arthur’s Bar for the Adelaide Fringe. Not that Arthur’s Bar is a bad place, it’s more because her dreams of starring on Broadway were dashed by the dreaded COVID virus. In an autobiographic style,…
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The Cocoon is four vignettes of love, with two monologues and two duologues. Written by New York’s Kotryna Gesait & directed by Brisbane-based Timothy Wynn, The Cocoon has previously been performed at the Adelaide Fringe in 2018 and again in 2019. For 2022, the performance takes place in Peter Rabbit in the West End of…
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The recent renovations to Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide have been in keeping with the charm of the old building, while modernising it to a current standard. More room in comfortable seats, an additional dress circle, better bar facilities; these all add up to a sympathetic improvement of a classic theatre. What better place to…
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The weather slowly warmed up over the Adelaide Cup long weekend, making Sunday a perfect day at Womadelaide. Rugs marked meeting spots under the trees. Lines formed at the free water stations. Some visitors discovered artist workshops and Planet Talks. Kids had plenty of zones and activities to keep them busy. The lifting of some…
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With such and incredible range of music on offer at Womadelaide, it can be easy to forget that there is much more available. HEXADECA music-making playground and roving performers entertain the families. There’s Eddie Betts story time in the KidsZone. Yoga from Human.Kind studios for the early risers. The Taste the World sessions have moved into…
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Celebrating thirty years of presenting world music, WOMADelaide has weathered COVID restrictions to put on a massive show for 2022. As international travel uncertainties played out, the focus this year has been on highlighting Indigenous and Pacific Island acts. After the traditional Kuarna Welcome to Country, Cairo-born oud virtuoso, Joseph Tawadros played with the Adelaide…
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Daniel Muggleton is an Australian stand-up comedian wearing a tracksuit. His trademark comedy is poking holes at bogans, racism, and almost anything else he can think of. He has a regular podcast and is a comedy club regular. On this chilly Tuesday night in the open-air Piglet Theatre at Gluttony, he wasn’t fazed by the…
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Sometimes, everything aligns to create that perfect moment. International Women’s Day marking the opening night of Lady Sings the Blues was one of those moments. As the full-house crowd filled the Melba Spiegeltent in Gluttony, it was clear that something special was about to happen. The feeling of the wooden floors, the mirrored walls, the…
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Acclaimed Indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks burst on to the Australian scene with their album Dawn in 2015, announcing a new voice in Australian soul music. Emma’s songwriting is optimistic, impassioned, and bruisingly honest, The Putbacks’ music is fluid, live and raw, and the collaboration has won friends and admirers…
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Port Adelaide has long been a street art hub, with the Wonderwalls Festival being a celebrated event. Both local and international artists have produced large scale murals, making the Port an artistic destination. For the 2022 Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide artists Vans the Omega and Dave Court have combined forces to create virtual reality interpretations of…
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It’s not a particularly good start when the venue doors open late, and the show starts before everyone enters. Then again, it’s probably a reflection of the popularity of Kira Yang filling the Nexus Cabaret room. Kira, front and centre, is the subject of Not Your Average Asian Girl, following her transformation from being quiet…
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Introducing Brendan Clare: actor, husband, father, IT nerd. Diagnosed with autism in his 40s, he faces his fears to tell his story with humour and heart. Brendan will look back on moments that were bewildering and disturbing, but now seem profound and illuminating. The AU Review sat down with him before his first Adelaide Fringe…
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The Producer’s Hotel has had a chequered life but is currently undergoing renovation and is starting to regain some of her former glory. The main room has larger events but upstairs is where the comedy lives. It is in one of the upstairs former bedrooms that Liars and Clowns, A Late Night Comedy Show is…
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The Strut and Fret Production Company have had a very successful relationship with the Adelaide Fringe over the years. Popular shows such as Limbo and Blanc de Blanc have had sell-out seasons. Their latest offering, The Purple Rabbit is easily set to follow this trend. The show is set at the Roundhouse, in the Garden…
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What is the difference between Soggy and Moist? For this Scratch Arts team, it’s the level of camp, clothing, and age relevancy. Both shows use the same actors. They both have the same storyline. Both feature bubbles and fun props. But they are aimed at very different markets. Loosely the story is that our hero…
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As the lights go down in the Octagon tent in Gluttony, three dancers emerge on stage in billowing sheets. It sets a sexy sultry mood. Arcadia is described as a “Journey to a desert utopia celebrating idealistic social values of the wild and free.” The mood suddenly changes as Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” sounds out….
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The Rhino Room is considered Adelaide’s premier venue for comedy. The 2022 Fringe program is huge and this year they’re hosting over 50 performers with 16 shows per night, five nights a week. With this incredible choice, it can be difficult for some performers to break through the noise and find an audience. It was…
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Strut & Fret’s Blanc de Blanc have been a popular part of the Adelaide Fringe in recent years, and this year the team returns for an Encore. With all the glam, glitz, cabaret, burlesque, camp and tasteful nudity we’ve come to expect, there is something for almost all of the family. Acrobats twirl overhead and…
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The Electric Dreams collective are presenting several immersive arts programs for the 2022 Adelaide Fringe. These include the alternate realities of Bedtime Stories, Volo: Dreams of Flight interactive VR swings, First Nations centerpiece performance Sky Song, and more. This reviewer found themselves in the confines of the Pacific Islander room at the Adelaide Museum, where…
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Matt Hale is a self-confessed comedy hypnotist, with self-help motivational and corporate entertainment packages a major part of his life. It makes sense then that a show called Absolute Chaos would be on the Fringe list. Hale’s introduction to the show is measured, thorough and complete. He explains the process and jokingly warns that even…
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Sarah Gaul is a 31-year-old woman who’s been to more weddings in the last six months than she cares to admit. Always the bridesmaid but never the bride? Sarah takes the audience on a journey into her world, her take on relationships and what makes her tick. First things first, Sarah is an eco-warrior. She…
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The Massaoke Oz open air sing-along dance spectacular is back at Moa in Gluttony for more Fringe fun. The five-piece band decked out in glitter and glam certainly warmed up the crowd with all the party tune favorites from the 70s, 80s and 90s. A relaxation in COVID rules meant that you could dance, albeit…
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Jennifer Trijo, OzAsia and Fringe Festival performer, has created Someday – A Mindful Cabaret performance at artist collective space The Mill. Together with performers Amber Fibrosi and Jakub Gaudasinski, the trio perform soulful and uplifting songs as well as challenging ourselves to be the best that we can be. Early in the performance there is…
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We were invited to a special media preview in The Garden of Unearthly Delights, celebrating 20 years as being part of the Adelaide Fringe. Director Scott Maidment introduced a few selected acts in the gorgeous Spiegeltent. First up was Mirko, direct from Berlin and part of the Blanc de Blanc Encore, with his newly developed…
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The Jungle Giants hit Thebarton Theatre like a breath of fresh air considering the reduced number of shows in recent times. Opening with some older favourites, before showcasing their latest album Love Signs, the audience were as energetic as COVID restrictions would allow. Bag Raiders and LazyWax warmed up the proceedings with dance and house…
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Michael Shafar is a Jewish lawyer turned comedian who relates his cancer recovery in his stand up shows. We chatted ahead of his upcoming season at the Adelaide Fringe. How did your show go back at the Fringe – was it two years ago or last year? I mean it feels like it’s a decade…
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